Page 13 of Sleigh Rides With St. Nick

He chuckled."I can't claim credit for that.The main reason is that the building is too old and built from solid brick.Putting automatic doors in would cost a small fortune and I'd prefer to spend it on other things."

"Like fancy coffee machines for your staff?"

He nodded."And regular pay raises.Automatic doors won't keep my staff happy, extra money in their pockets, and free presents for their children, do."

"You give all of your employees presents for their kids?"

"Of course.As you so accurately surmised, IamSanta."

"How did that even happen?"I asked as we walked down the corridor.

"I was always a toymaker.It was what five generations of my family had already been doing.And my grandfather liked to give children gifts when he could, especially those whose parents couldn't afford it.I was following in his footsteps already when I became immortal.And then the normal stuff that happens when someone becomes a god."

"I get that part, but how did you go from a toymaker to one of the most celebrated figures in the Western world?"

"Oh, right.Well, I don't know how much you know about my history?"he asked.

"Nothing more than everyone else knows.Your suit was green at some point, now it's red."

"Ah.That's very recent," he said."If you're free now, you could come with me to give me a hand, and I can tell you about it?"

I should say no.Not because I had work to do, or even because I thought it wasn't worth doing whatever it was he had in mind, but because I didn't think it was wise to spend too much time with him."All right."

He opened another door for me and let me through."You're going to need these before we go through the factory," he said, gesturing to a dispenser of earplugs.

"Thanks."I pulled out a couple of them and pushed them into my ears.

He didn't take any from the dispenser and instead reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.He popped it open and pulled out some much fancier-looking earplugs, twisting them into place.He saw me watching and offered a genuine smile."They work better and are better for the environment than the disposable ones.Lots of the factory floor workers have their pairs too.The disposable ones are really just for visitors."

"Ah."The sound was more muffled than I'd like, but I imagined it wouldn't take us long to get through the factory so I could take them out.Maybe if I was going to be working at Cringle for a while and I kept finding myself on the factory floor, I'd get myself a fancier pair of earplugs too.

Nick pushed open the next door, and even with the ear protection, a whole cacophony of noise assaulted me.I was careful to stay on the clearly marked path.The loud whir of saws and the rush of air from heaters came from all directions, along with the shouts of the workers.

Several of them stopped to call a greeting towards Nick and he smiled and waved at all of them, using their names.It was hard to tell from just seeing one interaction, but it was clear that he'd spent enough time down here that he knew the staff and they knew him.That was always a good sign when it came to the work environment of a company.It had taken me six months to even meet the CEO of the firm I worked at.I doubted that was going to be the same here.

We got to the end of the factory and he pushed open another door, gesturing for me to make my way through.After how loud the factory was, it was almost deafeningly quiet now we'd left.

"Through here," Nick said, removing his earplugs as he did and clipping them back into the box.

I pulled my own out, squishing them between my fingers for a moment before shoving them in my pocket.I had no idea what else to do with them, and until I did, this was my solution.

Nick showed me to a small workshop that made me feel as if I'd stepped back in time a hundred years or so.Maybe more.A heavy wooden workbench with scorch marks and so many scratches that there was no doubt it had been used for years dominated the space, and racks with all manner of tools.

I drifted closer to it, my attention caught by an exquisite doll sitting on it.I set my files down so I could look at her properly.She was everything I'd expect from a China doll, with delicately painted features and curly brown hair.

"Ah, you've found Annabelle," Nick said.

"She's beautiful," I said.

"She is."He smiled sadly at the doll.

"What's her story?"

"How do you know there is one?"he asked.

"Your face."

"Mmm."For a moment, I didn't think he was going to tell me anything about it."She was the doll who changed it all.I know she doesn't look it, but she's an old lady now.I made her in the late eighteen hundreds for a little girl who lived down the road from me.Her mother was a kind woman, but she barely had enough money to pay for the basic food and lodgings, especially after her husband died.At one point, I employed her as a cook.I didn't really need one, it was just that I couldn't stand seeing her destitute like that."

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